Prohibitory orders along Indo-Bangladesh border in Assam

Prohibitory orders have been promulgated along Assam-Bangladesh international border in Cachar district in view of reports about extremist elements entering the district for creating law and order problem.

South Assam's Cachar district magistrate H K Dev Mahanta promulgated the orders following reports about extremist elements likely to cross the border and enter Cachar from Bangladesh, official sources said.

There is also apprehension of the possibility of illegal export of commodities and cattle from the district to Bangladesh, besides efforts by illegal immigrants to cross over from across the border to cause disturbance and social tension.

The prohibitory orders have been enforced as a preventive measure.

Assam Medical College celebrates 66th foundation day

The premier medical college of northeast, Assam Medical College (AMC) here observed its 66th foundation day on Saturday. Established in November 3, 1947, the Assam Medical College was earlier known as Dr John Berry White Medical School, which was established in 1902. John Berry White, a British surgeon, was a great visionary and the pioneer of modern medical education in Assam.

The foundation day programme kicked off with hoisting of flag by AMC principal Atindra Adhikari. An open session was held at the auditorium followed by a cultural event.

CM ready to face Aasu on white paper

Accepting Aasu's challenge, chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday said he is ready for a face off with the students' body over the white paper on foreigners' issue. The chief minister added that he is ready to discuss the issue with any other organization.

On October 20, Gogoi released the white paper on influx which has always been the central poll plank of all political parties in every election. The white paper also happens to be the first-ever documentation of the problem by any state government. But it has drawn criticism from various sections of society.

Gogoi, who is in New Delhi now, said, "Aasu is talking about half truths in the white paper. I am asking them to show me these. The white paper contains facts and figures from government records and court orders." The chief minister even asked Aasu to publish its own separate white paper on the subject. "Aasu has every right to publish one and they can go to the people with it. If I have missed out on anything in the white paper, it should tell me specifically. I am open to discussion, not just with AASU alone, but others too."

40 schoolkids hurt in accident

At least 40 school children were injured in which they were travelling met with an accident on the NH-37 at Naduwa, about 25 km from Dibrugarh town on Saturday.

The accident occurred at around 8.15 am when the school bus (AS-06/A-9869) coming from Naduwa tea estate was transporting the students to their schools. The children were mostly pre-primary and primary school students of Montfort school and Axom Vidyapeeth of Chabua. Eyewitnesses said the bus lost control while trying to avoid collision with a wayward auto-rickshaw coming from the opposite direction and fell in a 10-feet deep pit alongside the busy highway.

Another NE student assaulted in Delhi

In yet another incident of students from the North East being subjected to physical and mental abuse, Hriini Pao, a student from Manipur studying at the College of Vocational Science, New Delhi, was severely assaulted by some students of the college on October 26.

Pao was admitted to the trauma centre of the AIIMS from which he was released on November 1.

Calvin Hrangkhol, president of the North East Students’ Society of Delhi University, told that the incident started over a trivial matter when a football being played by some NE students accidentally hit a girl student of the college.

Leave Majuli by Nov 10, Aasu tells Bangla nationals

The All Assam Students' Union (Aasu) on Saturday issued an ultimatum to all suspected Bangladeshi nationals here to leave Majuli by November 10. The organization also asked the administration to take required steps to fulfill their demand.

"We will not be responsible for any problems arising in Majuli after the deadline ends. We will take action against suspected nationals residing in the hub of Vaishnavite culture. This is our last appeal to the government as well as suspected Bangladeshis staying in Majuli,'' said Aasu's Jorhat district president Biren Saikia.

He added, "A large number of suspected Bangladeshi nationals are residing in Majuli right under the nose of the administration. Apart from doing cultivation and other household works, many of them are doing trade in the island to eke out a living. In some years, they will set up permanent settlements here, posing a serious threat to the unique identity of the island.''

Advocate arrested for helping car thieves

A Guwahati-based advocate, who allegedly assisted car thieves, was arrested by Assam police following a request from their Shillong counterparts.

The arrest came after a Guwahati court provided a transit warrant against advocate Tariqul Islam.

Police will present him before the court tomorrow.

“Islam was arrested for assisting car thieves who had been apprehended earlier from Shillong,” a police official said.

Yesterday, Shillong police had arrested six car thieves identified as Md Nazarul Ali Islam, Raju Boro, Md Hasmad Ali, Raj Thakuria, Kamal Rosaili and K.H Devavarata from Upper Shillong.

ABSU displeasure over handling of influx issue

The All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) on Thursday expressed its displeasure over the alleged irresponsible and half-hearted approach of the Government in dealing with the land and influx issue after the recent violence in the lower Assam districts.

Talking to mediapersons at the Bodofa House here, Promod Boro, president of the ABSU, maintained that the indigenous people have suffered a lot due to the conflicts taking place in the State since the last couple of decades. “The union will not tolerate any conspiracy with regard to land on the part of any agencies, which may cause the indigenous populace to face any kind of conflict again,” he warned.

Boro also said that the ABSU wants effective verification by which the problem of illegal encroachment can be resolved. He appealed to the authorities concerned to hold suspected people, who are returning to villages without undergoing the verification process, legally accountable and keep them in relief camps till they are able to prove their citizenship. Government agencies should not show an irresponsible attitude for which innocent citizens have to suffer again and again, he added.

Ex-AIUDF leader to head SP in Assam

In a bid to strengthen its base in the state, Samajwadi Party (SP) on Saturday roped in former All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) working president and prominent minority community leader Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury as the party's state unit president.

Party general secretary Kironmoy Nanda and national secretary Kamal Faruqui were present when Choudhury was inducted into SP. Choudhury, who left AIUDF following differences with the party leadership ahead of the assembly polls last year, will form a new executive committee within a month and launch a state-wide membership drive. He will work for fostering ties between different communities in the state.

Kamalesh Deka and Ratul Choudhury have been appointed as vice-president, while Sanjib Dutta and A F Nasiruddin Mullah have been appointed as general secretary and secretary respectively.

Police crackdown on drugs

Police have stepped up raids to check the supply of illegal drugs like painkiller tablets and cough syrup as well as country liquor, with many youths getting addicted to drugs and alcohol here.

The police have already seized a significant quantity of country liquor and dismantled some outlets here.

BJP leader and physician, Debamoy Sanyal, who has been working on creating awareness among youths about addiction, said youths with a drug habit had sparked off violence in the recent past.

Sanyal said consumption of liquor, tablets and capsules may lead to incoherent behaviour. Dhubri additional superintendent of police, Prasanta Dutta, said owing to action against addicts and peddlers, many had pledged not to indulge in such activities any more. “We have already dismantled many country liquor outlets and raided dens of drug peddlers and will continue our work,” he said.

Darrang admin flayed over law & order scene

The Darrang district unit of the AJYCP has criticised the role of the civil as well as police administration for their alleged failure in tackling the law-and-order situation during the last two days in the aftermath of the suspected kidnapping of a student leader in Sipajhar which even led to the blockade of the NH-52 for about 12 hours. In a press communique issued here today, Bhupen Nath, president and Azmal Hussain, secretary of the district AJYCP unit, flayed the administration for their failure in convincing the aggrieved public about the rescue measures, which led to the highway blockade till 8.30 pm last evening, causing a lot of inconvenience to passengers of long-distance vehicles.

Moreover, it was a pity for the administration that after the student leader was brought to Sipajhar, one pro-talk leader of the ULFA publicly claimed his hand in the recovery of the missing student leader and that too in front of an Additional District Magistrate and Additional Superintendent of Police, added the press release.

PK Borthakur new offshore ONGC director

PK Borthakur has taken over as the director (offshore) in the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC).

He steps in at a crucial juncture when ONGC has set ambitious targets in augmenting offshore production in the context of the organization's perspective plan 2030.

Borthakur took over this important board position of ONGC on October 30. Congratulating him for the elevation, CMD Sudhir Vasudeva said there could not have been a better oilman for the assignment at this vital juncture.

Borthakur, like his predecessor Sudhir Vasudeva, is predominantly brought up in the professional nuances of offshore oil engineering. He has a rich portfolio of experiences in diverse fields of oil production chain.

Before being elevated to the board of India's flagship explorer ONGC, he effectively managed India's biggest oil producing asset Mumbai High and biggest gas asset Bassein & Satellite.

Minority leader rejects white paper

Veteran minority leader Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury today dubbed Dispur’s white paper on foreigners’ issue as a ploy of the Congress party to divert the attention of the people from the real issue of updating the NRC 1951.

Choudhury, an advocate and former leader of All India United Democratic Front, today joined the Samajwadi Party.

“I do not think that there was any necessity of publishing the white paper, which has nothing but some facts and figures about the foreigners’ problem. The main issue is updating the NRC and the ruling Congress government has been delaying the process in its own interest. Now with the publication of the white paper, the Tarun Gogoi government has successfully diverted the attention of the people from the NRC update,” Choudhury told reporters soon after joining as president of the Assam unit of Samajwadi Party.

Choudhury’s allegation has assumed significance after the AASU termed the document as “half truth” or “white lie”.

Anna Hazare to attend KMSS convention in Guwahati

Noted Gandhian Anna Hazare and former Army General of the country V K Singh will attend the two-day convention being organised by the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) in association with the Guwahati Mahanagar Unnayan Samiti Samuhar Aikyamancha on November 7 and 8 in the city.

The convention being organised by the KMSS and the Aikyamancha to chalk out an action plan for a secular, nationalistic and progressive anti-alien stir, is also expected to be attended by India Against Corruption leader Arvind Gaur and peasant leader P V Rajagopal, the KMSS said in a press release here today.

The KMSS has made it clear that it is not against the six-year-long Assam agitation. But it is aware of its negative aspects and is maintaining caution to prevent recurrence of those mistakes. The Assam agitation was a famous popular movement in the post-independence era of the country.

Instrumental tribute to Bhupen Hazarika

The humble "bijuli baah", an indigenous bamboo grown in Assam will now represent and carry the name of Bhupen Hazarika in the form of a musical instrument.

'Bhupendra Lohori', a modified version of the percussion instrument called rainstick, was unveiled here on Saturday. The musical instrument has been made by Tridip Mahanta, a Unesco-Sea of Excellence Award conferred bamboo artist. He said he wanted to dedicate the instrument to the doyen of Assam on the occasion of his upcoming first death anniversary.

The instrument which churns out the sound of falling rain and the flow of water is available in two types. The first type consists of a single cylindrical tube which produces sound by holding it and moving it sideways. The other type is an assortment of ten such tubes bundled together which is put in a frame that is moved in circles. The size of the instrument is between 18 to 33 inches.

At least 10 poachers armed with .303 rifles still active near Kaziranga

Karbi Anglong police today claimed that there were at least 10 poachers armed with .303 rifles still active near Kaziranga National Park and making plans to kill rhinos.

Diphu police station officer-in-charge, Nabo Bora, told that during the interrogation of various poachers arrested recently, it has come to light that at least 10 poachers are making plans to strike in the park.

“We have shared this information with our Bokakhat counterparts and are working jointly to nab these poachers,” Bora said.

Police have apprehended more than 20 persons, mostly poachers, recently from Karbi Anglong and near the national park, who are directly involved in the recent killing of rhinos.

Bus, trekker owners call off strike

The city bus and trekker owners operating in the city have called off their strike and decided to resume the services tomorrow following a meeting between the commercial vehicle owners’ association and the district administration here today. For the time being, the fares will remain unchanged and a decision to this effect will be taken in a meeting to be held on November 12. Earlier, Transport Minister Chandan Brahma told reporters that considering the hike in prices of fuel and spare parts of vehicles, the Transport Department prepared a proposal for fare hike and the same has already been cleared by the State Cabinet.